Another Triumph For Feminism

Pentagon Lifts Ban on Women in Combat

By ELISABETH BUMILLER

The groundbreaking decision by Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta overturns a 1994 Pentagon rule that restricts women from many positions in the infantry and artillery, even though in reality women have found themselves in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

 When asked if they would be required to wear makeup and high heels while killing enemies, Panetta said it would depend on who they were killing. "Some cultures might find it insulting to be murdered by women dressed according to superior western fashion, but others might not mind."